(15) "What man is there who is fearful and is faint-hearted" (Deut. 20:8)? Exactly so. This is one whose heart has no strength to withstand the strains of war⁶⁸He is afraid he’ll be killed in battle due to his sins.. Now, once one becomes entangled with the perplexities of war, he should trust the Hope of Israel, and He will save him in times of trouble. He should know he is doing battle for the unity of the Name. He should place his life in His Hands and neither be afraid nor alarmed. He should not think about his wife or his children. Rather, he should wipe away thoughts of them from his heart, and clear himself of everything for the war. Anyone who thinks about or contemplates (matters) during the battle and frightens himself violates a Negative Commandment, as it says, “do not be faint of heart, nor be alarmed, do not flee, and be not frightened before them” (Deut. 20:3). And not only that, but all the blood of Israel hangs around his neck. If he did not win and did not fight the battle with all his heart and soul, he is like one who spills everyone’s blood, as it says, “lest he not melt his brothers’ hearts as has his” (Deut. 20:8). It is explicitly stated in the Tradition that, “Cursed be he who does the work of G-d sluggishly, and cursed be he who keeps back his sword from blood” (Jeremiah 48:10). However, anyone who does fight with all his heart without fear, and his intentions are only to Sanctify the Name, is promised that he will not be harmed and nothing bad will happen to him. He will build an upright home in Israel, and he and his children will earn merit forever, and merit The World To Come, as it says, “certainly, G-d shall make for my master a faithful house, for the wars of G-d does my master fight and no evil will be found with you all your days…And the soul of my master will be bound with the living, with the Lord your G-d…” (I Samuel 25:28-29).

(1) It is mandatory upon the whole house of Israel to sanctify this Great Name, for it is said: "And I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel" (Lev. 22.32). They are also charged not to blaspheme Him, for it is said: "And ye shall not profane My holy Name" (Ibid.). How are these commandments to be observed? If an idolater will force an Israelite to transgress one of the commandments of the Torah and threaten him with death for disobedience, it is mandatory that he transgress the commandment and be not put to death, for it is said concerning the commandments: "That which a man may do and live by it" (Ibid. 18.5)—"live by it, but not die for it". ¹Sanhedrin, 74a; Yoma 85a; Abodah Zarah, 26b. C. G.Thus, if he chose death and did not transgress, his blood be upon his own head.

(2) Whereat are these words directed? Concerning all other commandments, save idolatry, adultery and blood-shed. For respecting these three commandments, if one will say to him: "Transgress one of the three, or die," he shall die, and not transgress. Whereat are these words directed? When the idolater intends to have a personal enjoyment, as when he forces an Israelite to build his house, or cook his meals on a Sabbath, or when he forces a Jewish woman, and in like matters; but if he merely intended to make him violate commandments, then, if it happen between themselves, and there be no ten Israelites present, it is mandatory to transgress and not die; but if he forces him to go astray from one of the commandments in the presence of ten Israelites, he must suffer death and not transgress, even though the idolater did not intend to lead him astray save from one of the rest of the commandments.

(3) And all these words are directed at a time which is not under pressure of arbitrary edicts, but at a time of arbitrary edicts such as when a wicked king, like Nebuchadnezzar and his associates arise and issue an edict against Israel to violate their religion, or one of the commandments, then he should die and not transgress even one of the other commandments, whether he is forced to do the transgression in the presence of ten, or whether the compulsion will be between himself and the idolater.

(4) Whosoever, of whom it is said that he shall transgress and not die, if he die and did not transgress, the guilt thereof be upon his soul;²Ibid. 27. Tosfot commends such act. C. G. and whosoever, concerning whom it is said that he shall die and not transgress, and he did die and did not transgress, he sanctified the Name of God; and if this happened in the presence of ten Israelites, he sanctified the Name of God among many, even like unto Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah and Rabbi Akiba and his associates, who have been slain by decree of a tyrannical government to which degree of martyrdom there is no parallel, concerning whom it is said: "But for Thy sake we are killed all the day; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter" (Ps. 44.23); and concerning whom it is moreover said: "Gather my saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice" (Ibid. 50.5). And whosoever, concerning whom it is said that he shall die and not transgress, did transgress and did not die, blasphemed the Name of God, and if he did this in the presence of ten Israelites, he blasphemed the Name of God in the presence of many, violated the mandatory commandment of the sanctification of God, and transgressed the prohibitive commandment of blasphemy. Nevertheless, because he committed the transgression in duress, he is not lashed, needless to say that no punishment of death is inflicted upon him by a tribunal, even though he commit murder in duress; for no punishment of either lashes or death is inflicted unless one commits the crime willfully in the presence of witnesses, and received a warning not to do it, even as it is said of one who sacrifices his children to Mollech: "And I will set my face against that man" (Lev. 20.3), which is traditionally understood to mean that that man was not under duress, nor in error, nor in ignorance. Now, if idolatry, which is the capital offense of them all, yet whosoever worships it in duress, is not guilty to be cut off from among his people, not to say of being put to death by a tribunal, a minori ad majus that an offense against the other commandments enumerated in the Torah should remain as the major premise. Furthermore, concerning adultery it is said: "But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing" (Deut. 22. 26).³She was under duress. G. But if he can save his life and flee from the jurisdiction of such a wicked king, and he does it not, he is likened unto a dog that returneth to his vomit, and is called a willful worshipper of idolatry, and is deprived of the world to come, for he will descend into the nethermost level of the Gehenna.

(5) If idolaters will demand one of a group of women, saying: "Yield us one of among you and we will defile her, if not we will defile you all", let all be defiled, rather than surrender to them one soul in Israel.⁴Terumot, 8.12. C. G. Likewise, if idolaters will say to a group of men: "Yield us one of you and we will kill him, if not we will kill you all", let all of them be killed rather than surrender to them one soul in Israel. If, however, they single out the one, saying: "Give us that man, if not we will kill you all", if he be guilty of a capital crime, as, for example, Sheba son of Bichri⁵See Second Samuel; 20. 1. G., they may surrender him to them, but it is not commendable to advise them to do so; if he be not guilty of a capital crime, they all must submit rather than surrender them one soul in Israel.

(6) As they said on the subject of duress, so they said of sickness. How so? For example: One who takes sick and his life is despaired of, and doctors prescribe a remedy for him consisting of a certain thing which is forbidden, the doctor's orders are followed. Healing is effected by everything that the Torah forbids, where there is danger of death⁶Pesahim, 25a. C., save only idolatry, adultery and murder, which even in case of danger, must not be employed as means of healing. If he transgress and be cured by such means, the tribunal may visit upon him due punishment.

(7) Whence do we know that even when life is in danger, none of these prohibitive commandments may be violated? From what it is said: "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deut. 6.5), even though He taketh thy life.⁷Berakot 65b. G. And, the taking of one life in Israel to give healing to another life, or to save a man from an assassin is a thing which reason dictates not to do, for one life must not be sacrificed for another life. As for adultery, it is likened unto life itself, as it is said: "For as when a man riseth against his neighbor and slayeth him, even so is this matter" (Ibid. 22.26).

(8) Whereat are these words against using other forbidden things as remedies, save where there is danger of life, directed? When given in a manner to enjoy it, as for example, feeding a sick person oysters or frogs, or leavened bread on Passover, or any food on the Day of Atonement; but when administered not in a manner to enjoy it, as, for example, to apply a plaster or poultice of leaven on Passover, or of uncircumcized fruit,⁸Fruit of a tree before the fourth year after it was planted. G. or a drink containing a mixture of forbidden ingredients of food, which is not at all palatable, is permissible, even when there is no danger, save only of grafted fruit from a vineyard, and milk together with meat, which are forbidden even when not enjoying them. Therefore, healing therewith is forbidden even in a manner not to enjoy it, unless there is danger of death.

(9) One who coveted a certain woman and became dangerously sick so that his life was despaired of, and the doctors declared that for him there was no remedy save that she be with him, he shall die even though she be not wedded and even though the remedy be for him to talk to her from behind a screen, no permission shall be given to him; let him die⁹Sanhedrin, 74b. C. but no permission be given him to talk to her from behind a screen, so that the daughters in Israel shall not be without protection, and thereby become accustomed to consider unchastity lightly.

(10) Whosoever willfully, without duress, will transgress one of the commandments of the Torah, because he despises it and does so spitefully, behold, he is blaspheming the Name. Therefore, it is said of false swearing: "Thou hast hereby defiled the name of thy God; I am the Lord" (Lev. 19. 12). And if he commits the offense in the presence of ten Israelites, he is guilty of public blasphemy. Conversely, if one abstains from sin, or fulfills a commandment without ulterior motive, not because of terror or fear, nor in pursuit of honor, but merely for the sake of the Creator, blessed is He! Even as Joseph the Pious did resist the temptation of his master's wife, behold, he doth sanctify the Name of God.

(11) There are other things included in blasphemy, although they are not of themselves either among the mandatory or prohibitive commandments, as for example, when a great man, famed for his learning and piety, will do something that the public will suspect him on account thereof, even though such deeds be not transgressions, yet he has committed blasphemy, as for example: if he makes a purchase and does not pay for it at once,¹⁰Yoma, 86a. C. Baba Mezia, 83b. G. although he has the money and the vendors are claiming it and he delays them; or if he indulges in frivolity, or doth eat and drink with and among the ignorant,¹¹Pesahim, 49a. C. or if his speech with his fellow men be not polite, or if he does not receive them pleasantly, but acts as one looking for strife and shows anger. In such and like matters, all measured by the standard of the greatness of such scholar, he must take particular care, and act exceedingly better than the law requires. Conversely, if the scholar restrains himself, speaks politely to his fellow men, and when among them acts like one of them, and receives them pleasantly, takes abuse from them but never gives abuse to them in return, respects them, even those who do not respect him, acts in business honestly, does not remain in company with the unlearned, nor visits their assemblies, and is rarely seen otherwise than to be engaged in the study of the Torah, wrapt in the prayer-garment and adorned with phylacteries, and performs his duties exceedingly more than the law requires, provided he does not go to extremes and does not act so ridiculously, so that all praise him and love him and crave to imitate his actions, behold he doth sanctify the Lord, and concerning him, the verse speaks, saying: "And He said unto me, thou art my servant, Israel, in whom I am glorified." (Is. 49.3).